


Never Say Never(land)

by rikmhm



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alcohol, F/F, First Kiss, Halloween, Halloween Costumes, House Party, Mistaken for Being in a Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-31
Updated: 2015-10-31
Packaged: 2018-04-29 02:10:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5112452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rikmhm/pseuds/rikmhm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sorry for the dumb title, I couldn't help myself because puns. </p>
<p>Regina and Emma meet at a Halloween costume party where they are mistaken for a couple. </p>
<p>I don't own any of these characters. They own me.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Never Say Never(land)

“Enjoy dressing up as Peter Pan’s shadow with no Peter Pan!!” Regina shouted from the bedroom. The door slammed behind Mal as she stormed out of the apartment.

_God, what was that?_ Regina thought. _That was the best I could come up with?_

Regina was usually good with comebacks, but her girlfriend had taken her by surprise when she said she needed some space and she was going to a different Halloween party that night. The two were planning on going to Ruby’s annual Halloween Bash dressed as Peter Pan and his shadow. With no time to plan a new costume, Regina was glad that she was Peter Pan. At least that costume could stand alone.

It was 8 p.m. and the party would start in an hour. Regina briefly considered wallowing instead, but ultimately decided that friends and shots would be a better option. She put on her costume and checked herself out in the full length mirror on her closet door. With a confident nod and a small smirk, she headed out for the night.

* * *

 

“You can’t DO this anymore? What the hell does that even mean?” Emma angrily dumped the basket of clean clothes onto the bed. Her boyfriend, Killian, sat perched on the other side of the bed, staring at the floor.

“You’re not yourself these days, Love. You’re not the girl I fell in love with.” Killian didn’t know how else to explain it.

“That was 2 years ago. People change. I am who I am, if that’s not enough for you, maybe you should just go.” Emma was vigorously folding. She was so angry that she couldn’t even look at Killian. To be honest, she didn’t really know how the relationship had lasted this long. Convenience, mostly. That, and she hated hurting people’s feelings.

“What about the party tonight?” Killian turned toward her, his eyes almost pleading.

“What about it? You have other friends. Just last week you were trying to strong arm me into going to Leroy’s party instead of Ruby’s. Why don’t you just go there?” Emma didn’t even care that they had been planning on dressing as Captain Hook and Tinkerbell. Why couldn’t Tinkerbell be at a party alone? She could finally be free.

“Fine, if that’s what you want.” Killian stood up and walked toward the bedroom door.

“It’s clearly what you want. Don’t make this harder than it needs to be. And you should probably stay the night over there.” Emma just wanted Killian to leave before she started crying. Even if she wasn’t that into him, it still hurt to lose a relationship that was so familiar and comfortable.

When she heard the apartment door close, a few tears rolled down her cheeks. She was already running late, no time to feel right now. Time for alcohol therapy. She threw her Tinkerbell costume on and without a second thought, she ran out the door.

* * *

Upon her arrival to the party, Regina headed straight for Ruby’s kitchen. Even though they had graduated, Ruby and her roommates still threw raging parties pretty frequently. Regina knew there would be plenty of alcohol, and she really needed something strong. She found a cup and poured in some Jack, to which she added a small amount of coke. It burned but she still had to remind herself to come up for air. She didn’t want a repeat of last year when she had a little too much and made out with a potato dressed as a forest hobo.

Once her throat stopped burning, she opened her eyes to see her friend Kathryn crossing the room to get to her.

“Regina!! I was worried you weren’t coming.” Kathryn gave Regina’s cheek a peck. The two had been roommates in undergrad and best friends ever since. “Mal texted me and told me what happened.” Kathryn made an exaggerated sad face. “But the new girl is smoking hot. How did you land that so quickly?”

Regina’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “New girl?”

“Yeah. The Tinkerbell to your Peter Pan? I’m super impressed. Didn’t this thing with Mal just go down like 5 minutes ago?” Kathryn grabbed Regina’s cup and took a drink. “Jesus, what is in this? Paint thinner? Why aren’t you pouring us shots?”

Kathryn’s mind and mouth both worked at break neck speeds and being a little drunk only made it worse. Regina knew it was pointless to try talking to her about anything other than what type of shots she should pour. “Caramel apple? In honor of Halloween.”

“Sounds great.” Kathryn was always down to try any of Regina’s concoctions. Regina was known for her creative drink mixtures and shots.

Just as Regina started to pour, she saw Ruby coming into the kitchen pulling a blond Tinkerbell close behind her. New girl, Regina thought. Well, I certainly wouldn’t oppose it.

* * *

“EMMA! I’m so glad you made it!!” Ruby was already a few shots in. She threw her arms around Emma, careful not to spill her red solo cup of whatever shitty beer was being served. “Where is Killian?”

“Long story” Emma shouted over the music. “I’ll tell you later.”

“Uh oh, do you need a shot?” Ruby grabbed Emma’s hand and led her into the kitchen. “Regina, what do you have for us?”

A brunette Peter Pan was already pouring a round of shots on the island counter.

“Caramel apple shots. You two want in?”

“Yeah, make it a double for my friend here…boyfriend troubles.” Ruby grabbed a couple of shot glasses and added them to the line.

“Hate it when that happens.” Regina winked at Emma and continued pouring.

A group of very drunk sorority Treasure Trolls came in through the back door and pushed past Emma and Ruby to get to the living room. As they stumbled past, one of them leaned over to Emma. “Oh my God, Peter Pan and Tinkerbell! You two are adorbable!”

“We’re not…” Emma’s face turned bright pink. The girls were already gone before Emma could even begin to explain.

Regina noticed Emma’s redness and couldn’t help but laugh. “Here you go, Tink. Double shot. For the boy troubles.” She pushed a shot glass toward Emma and another toward Ruby. “Okay, ladies. Bottoms up!”

Emma’s face was stuck in a pucker for a few seconds. She was pretty good at holding her liquor, but that shot was extra strong. “You trying to poison me, Pan?”

“What’s that?” Regina leaned over the counter to hear Emma better. “You want another?” Emma knew she should go easy so she didn’t end up sleeping in the bathtub like last year, but she just couldn’t say no to this girl.

“Sure. What’s your name again?” Drunk Ruby had already drifted away on hostess duty, but she hadn’t actually introduced Emma and Regina.

“Regina Mills, what’s yours?” Regina poured out a couple of shots for the two of them.

“Emma Swan.” She held out her hand to shake.

Regina extended her hand and Emma firmly shook it. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Swan."

* * *

Kathryn had already flitted away after taking her shot. There was beer pong on the back porch and her team was up. Regina poured another round of shots for those who were left standing around the island and the group downed them as quickly as the first.

“So, Emma. Your boyfriend, is he here?” Regina was semi shouting as Ruby had turned up the volume on the Monster Mash.

“Ex-boyfriend and no”, Emma replied.

“Sorry to hear that. So how do you know Ruby?”

“I can barely hear you. Do you want to go out on the porch?” Emma motioned toward the back door.

Regina nodded her head, picked up her cup and followed Emma outside. The two sat on the far end of the porch with their legs dangling off the side.

“Much better. Now what were you saying?” Emma didn’t realize just how cold it would be that night. She could already feel goose bumps forming on her bare arms and her legs underneath her leggings.

“How do you know Ruby?” Regina took a drink from her cup and sat it down between the two of them.

“We work together at the diner.” Emma realized that she didn’t have a drink and briefly considered a trip back to the kitchen.

Regina saw Emma looking down at her cup. “I’m sorry. I should have mixed you something before we came out here. You can have some of this if you like Jack and coke.” She handed the cup to Emma, who took it gratefully.

“Thanks, I need a beer jacket ASAP. Killian didn’t really think about weather when he forced me to dress up in this ridiculous thing.” Emma glared down at her shiny leotard and green tutu.

“Forced you?!” Regina’s eyebrows furrowed once again, this time in disbelief and disgust.

“Well, not exactly. I insisted that we go as Wayne and Garth last year, so it was only fair that he chose the costumes this year. He has been planning his Captain Hook costume since November first of last year. I couldn’t say no.” Emma took a giant gulp of the shared drink.

“Wayne and Garth?” It was clear that Emma’s reference was totally lost on Regina.

“Are you kidding me? From Wayne’s World?” Emma handed the cup back to Regina.

“Oh, right. I’ve heard of it.”

“You’ve never seen it? It’s a classic!” Emma had turned her body toward Regina, tucking her leg up under her.

“Classic? You can hardly call it that. The classics are much older. Much more refined. Katharine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman.” Regina had always idolized the greats.

“Sorry, I didn’t realize you were a film snob.” Emma laughed and drank the last of the Jack and coke.

Regina felt her face turn hot. “I’m sure that Wayne’s World is a wonderful movie. I’ve just never had the occasion to see it.”

“Don’t back pedal so quickly, you’ll hurt yourself!” Emma hopped up to her feet and extended her hand to Regina. “Come on, we need more booze.” Regina took Emma’s hand and the two made their way back to the kitchen.

* * *

“10 minutes until the costume competition!! Get your votes in now, last call!!” Ruby screamed as she marched straight through the kitchen.

“Shit, did you vote yet?” Emma raised her own cup up to her lips.

“No, we should probably go do it.” Regina led Emma into the living room where the ballots were sitting on the coffee table along with a basket of pens and giant box. Without collaboration, they each scribbled out the names of their favorite costumes and shoved the papers into the overflowing box.

Ruby snatched up the box and whisked it away to be counted upstairs. The counting crew always did fast work. Belle was extremely organized and had the system down to a science.

“We might as well wait in here. They’ll be back down in a few minutes. Plus it’s warm.” Emma was starting to feel her toes again.

Regina agreed. Her costume had a little more coverage than Emma’s, but she was still feeling the effects of night air. “So what happened with your boyfriend?” Regina asked.

“Ex-boyfriend. And it just wasn’t a good match. He was overbearing and whiny at the same time. It was weird. It feels nice to not be saddled with him. I’m actually having fun.” Emma realized she was rambling and she was sure that Regina was just being polite by asking. “But I’m sure you don’t really want to hear about it.”

“If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have asked you. I actually just went through a break up myself. We had only been together for a few months, but we were really close friends before that. I hope I haven’t ruined it.” Regina’s eyes were full of emotion. Emma could tell that she was more upset about her break up than Emma was about her own.

“He didn’t deserve you.” Emma placed her hand on Regina’s shoulder.

“She.” Regina corrected her.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to assume.” Emma’s face turned pink again. “I should know better. I used to get that shit all the time when I was with my ex, Lily.”

“It’s not a big deal. To me, at least.”

* * *

 

At that moment, Ruby descended from upstairs carrying a single sheet of paper.

“Ladies and gentlemen!!! Please gather around for the winners of the costume competition!” Ruby cleared a space by the big bay window for the winners to come up and show off their costumes.

“Let’s start with the scariest costume! And the winner is, August as the Deranged Clown!” A man walked up in a scary clown costume and struck a pose. Belle snapped his picture for the archives and he returned to the crowd.

“The next category is the best animal costume. That award goes to Ariel as Nemo from Finding Nemo!”

“Is there another Nemo?” Emma whispered to Regina.

“For our next category, we have the best couples costume! The winners are Regina and Emma as Peter Pan and Tinkerbell!” Ruby laughed because she knew that the two hadn’t met before tonight, but everyone else seemed to think otherwise. “Get up here, ladies!!”

Both Emma and Regina were shocked by the announcement. Emma’s face was beet red, and Regina’s only a little lighter. Regina took Emma’s hand and led her up to the front of the room.

“Smile for your photo!” Belle said as she held up her phone to snap the picture.

Regina wrapped her arm around Emma’s waist and smiled. Emma’s eyes widened when she felt Regina’s hand on her hip. She smiled and Belle snapped the picture. The two walked back through the crowd and into the almost empty kitchen.

* * *

“What the hell was that?” Emma exclaimed with a huge smile. Her eyes were still like dinner plates.

“I’m not sure. I guess people thought we were here together.” Regina replied. She really hoped that Emma wasn’t against that idea. “I mean…we HAVE been sitting together all night.”

Emma looked at the time on her phone. “Oh God. It’s midnight already!”

“Time flies when you’re having fun.” Regina raised the side of her mouth in a hopeful half smile.

“I guess it does.” Emma looked at Regina’s face. Her deep brown eyes were so familiar to Emma. She felt like she had met her in another life. Emma couldn’t help what was about to come out of her mouth. “So we wouldn’t want to be exposed as frauds, would we?”

“What are you suggesting, Miss Swan?” Regina was relieved to know that Emma was at least somewhat interested in her.

“I think we should be here together for real.” Emma’s words were spewing out like lava before she could even think about them. “I mean, if that’s okay with you.” Her face turned pink for the hundredth time that night.

“It’s more than okay with me.” Regina watched Emma’s pursed lips relax into a small relieved smile. “So I hope you won’t mind if I do this.” Regina traced Emma’s hairline with her fingertips and pushed her hair behind her ear, carefully taking in the beauty of her light blue eyes, her small nose, her soft, thin lips.

Emma didn’t flinch or pull away, so Regina leaned closer and was met halfway by a very eager Emma Swan. Their lips collided almost explosively. Emma placed her hands on the back of Regina’s neck, ran her fingers into her dark brown hair, and pulled her closer for another kiss.

Emma pulled back and took a few deep breaths. Both were desperately wondering what the other was thinking. Regina waited for Emma to speak.

“So I think we’ve proven ourselves here.” The costume competition was over and the crowd had spread itself back around the other parts of the house. The kitchen was full of partygoers and many of them had definitely seen that last kiss. “What do you say we head back to my place and I can show you the wonders of the classic film Wayne’s World?”

Regina’s eyebrows rose at the invitation.

“Shit, am I being too forward?” Emma suddenly regretted those last few shots.

“Not at all, Miss Swan. I was only thinking that I might not be able to pay attention to the movie with you sitting next to me.” Regina replied.

“It’s okay. I’ve seen it a million times. I’ll tell you all about it in the morning.” Emma’s mouth formed a quite satisfied smirk. She took Regina by the hand and led her toward the front door.

“Shouldn’t we say goodbye to Ruby?” Regina asked.

“I think she’ll understand.” Emma opened the door for Regina and followed her outside.

* * *

As the two walked down the sidewalk, their hands quickly found each other's. Emma wasn’t sure what to expect when she got home, but she wished she had some pixie dust to get them there faster.

“What’s wrong?” Regina noticed Emma’s scrunched up face.

“Nothing. It’s stupid.” Silence. Emma appreciated that Regina didn’t push her. She already felt like she could trust her completely. “It’s just… Lily… She messed me up big time.”

Regina squeezed Emma’s hand reassuringly. “I’m not her.”

“I know you’re not. It’s just kind of funny. I said I’d never date another woman after her.” Emma felt relief upon saying it aloud.

“Well I hope I can change your mind.” Regina smiled lovingly at Emma.

Emma felt so safe with Regina. “I guess that’s why you should never say never.” She rested her head on Regina’s shoulder and the two walked in silence the last three blocks to Emma’s apartment.


End file.
